British Socialists and Utah Republicans Have the Same Good Idea on How to End Homelessness

Utah’s plan is working. Reports initially said that giving homes to the homeless reduced chronic homelessness by 91%, but that staggering figure actually reflected a change in how people were counted far more than the effectiveness of the program.

Archived Story

We are so poisoned by ideology that finding solutions to our problems seems to be secondary to making sure those solutions come from our side of the aisleAmerica has ceased to be a community, and we are simply comprised of warring factions pushing each other down in a zero-sum game—which is why this new initiative from Jeremy Corbyn is so intriguing thanks to how it challenges our ideologyConservatives instantly seized on it as yet another utopian socialist fantasy that has no basis in reality, while those on the left praised Corbyn as a folk hero who is one of only a few politicians who can be trusted to treat the homeless with any measure of compassion.
Jeremy Corbyn is the leader of the British Labour Party which did not win complete control, but loosened Prime Minister Theresa May and the Tories’ grip on the UK government last yearHe recently announced a supposedly radical plan to give 8,000 homeless people homesFox Business said that people will intentionally become homeless because of this policy, and “that’s not the way to fix income inequality.” Well guess what? Jeremy Corbyn isn’t the only one who disagrees with Republican State TV here—so does the Utah Republican Party.
Utah is one of the most consistent red states in the unionThey haven’t had a Democratic governor since 1985The state Senate is presently comprised of 24 Republicans and five DemocratsTheir House has 63 Republicans versus 12 DemocratsThe last Democrat Utah voted for in a presidential election was Lyndon JohnsonUtah renders ideology on the homelessness issue mootIf you oppose Corbyn’s move because you think it’s socialism, how do you describe it in the context of the Utah GOP philosophically supporting the same policy?
Corbyn’s proposed plan and Utah’s implemented policy are certain to differ in strategy and scope, but the elemental basis of their solution is the exact same: give the homeless homesThe fact that this is painted as “radical” by some of American media is indicative not just of how far right our discourse has shifted over the last fifty years, but how little regard we have for the most vulnerable among usAs Ron Swanson of Parks & Recreation said, capitalism “is God’s way of determining who is smart and who is poor,” and we have embodied the most extreme parts of a fictional character designed to be comedic relief.
Just because we toss the homeless away to the edges of society doesn’t mean it comes freeThanks to America’s rightward shift over the last half-century, we don’t think of policy in terms of the human costs until we figure out the dollar costs—and this is where decrying Corbyn’s policy as “socialism” runs into trouble with realityPresident Obama’s HUD Secretary said that each homeless person costs the government $40,000 per year between “shelters, emergency rooms and jails.” An Oklahoma-based consultant group studied Florida and found that residents pay $31,065 per chronically homeless person every year to live on the streets.
Using Obama’s HUD secretary’s figure, we spend over $22 billion per year to keep the 564,708 homeless on the streetsTo put that staggering figure in context, that’s nearly twice as much as what the federal government spends on food & agricultureIt’s $7 million less than our 2015 science budgetIf fiscal conservatism was actually about being fiscally conservative, homelessness would receive far more attention from the right side of the aisleIf you view all policies through its effect on the budget, there is no rationale for supporting the status quo of homelessness, yet here we areNow that a socialist has endorsed a more aggressive version of a policy already enacted by one of America’s reddest states, we are retreating into our ideological corners—more afraid of supporting something our tribe supposedly doesn’t than pursuing policies which make people’s lives empirically better.
I lived in Boston for nearly a decade—one of the costliest housing markets in America—and the most expensive rent I ever paid ran me about $16,000 per yearOr put another way: around half of what we all pay to keep each homeless person on the streetsThere’s basic logic with this issue that we ignore in favor of “punishing” folks who supposedly failed to take advantage of capitalismWe ignore facts like 40,000 veterans are homelessOr the 550,000 children who experience homelessness for a week or longerOr the 1.3 to 1.7 million children who experience homelessness for at least one day each yearInstead of dealing with the reality of the inefficiencies of our economic system, we hide behind general platitudes which remove blame from ourselves and place it on othersIt doesn’t even matter if a policy works if it’s not “capitalism” (whatever the hell that means anymore)We are slaves locked inside cages of our own making, and we are dragging our most vulnerable down with us.
Utah’s plan is workingReports initially said that giving homes to the homeless reduced chronic homelessness by 91%, but that staggering figure actually reflected a change in how people were counted far more than the effectiveness of the programHowever, just because that figure is dramatically skewed doesn’t mean that the general trend is offGiving homes to the homeless has indeed reduced chronic homelessness in UtahThe only debate is to what degree.
There may be no issue where America displays its hypocrisy more than it does on the issue of homelessnessWe tell ourselves that capitalism is about giving everyone an equal shot at success, but then we vote for policies which restrict people’s ability to rise out of poverty, like the GOP-led assault on MedicaidDespite Americans saying they support Medicaid by large majorities—Republicans included—we still give space to a party which is hostile to all attempts to aid poor peopleAs soon as these policies push people to the streets, we assume it is of their own doing because “personal responsibility” or something—whatever we can tell ourselves to push this problem out of our mindsDespite the comforts of modernity, we still perform human sacrifice to appease an amorphous deity—it’s just not as straightforward as placing them on an altar and ripping their hearts outWe achieve that same endgame through a toxic combination of policy and apathy.
Americans have been trained to only see black and red on a budget, not the human costs of that budgetHowever, we are so ideologically poisoned that even if we see black on the budget, unless it comports with our biases, we dismiss it altogetherThere is something to be learned from the fact that socialists in Britain and conservatives in Utah arrived at similar solutions to the same problemWhen we set aside ideology and focus on what works, we can do good in this worldHowever, given the nature of our cruel reality, the question now becomes: do we want to?
Jacob Weindling is a staff writer for Paste politicsFollow him on Twitter at @Jakeweindling.
ShareTweetSubmitPinMoreG+LinkedInTumblrStumbleUponTagscapitalismhomelessnessjeremy corbynpoliticsrepublican partysocialismutah
Recently in Politics
Privilege Avatar Megan McArdle Pulls Off the Rare "Owned Trifecta": Original Own, Self-Own, Crowd-Own
2/5/2018 3:03:16 PM
Watch: Dodge's Intensely Manipulative MLK Super Bowl Ad Gets a Necessary Remake
2/5/2018 2:32:58 PM
Study: When It Comes to American Incarceration, Race and Class Both Matter, But Class Matters More
2/5/2018 12:30:36 PM
More from Homelessness
Features
British Socialists and Utah Republicans Have the Same Good Idea on How to End Homelessness
February 5, 2018
Amazon’s HQ2 Competition Is a Metaphor for the Capitalist Failures of America
January 18, 2018
True Panther Readies Compilation for San Francisco Homeless People
November 18, 2010
News
Here's What Really Happens When Homeless People Are Bussed Out of Your City
December 21, 2017
Trade School Fires President for Allowing Homeless Student to Sleep in the Library on Sub-Zero Night
January 19, 2017
Denver Police Confiscate Blankets From Homeless
December 18, 2016
var disqus_shortname = window.openXAds.development == "true" ? 'paste-magazine-development' : 'paste-magazine'; // required: replace example with your forum shortname
var url = $("head link[rel='canonical']").attr("href");
var disqus_url = url.indexOf("?") ? url.substr(0, url.indexOf("?")) : url;
var disqus_identifier = window.openXAds.articleid;
Most Popular
Why Did Trey Gowdy Suddenly Retire from Congress?
2/1/2018 1:25:54 PM
The Butcher Builders: How Western Journalists Helped Create a Monster in Russia
2/1/2018 9:45:36 AM
Philadelphia City Council Votes to End Cash Bail
2/1/2018 3:23:55 PM
Privilege Avatar Megan McArdle Pulls Off the Rare "Owned Trifecta": Original Own, Self-Own, Crowd-Own
2/5/2018 3:03:16 PM
Devin Nunes Tries Several Times to Commit Political Suicide
2/2/2018 6:00:37 PM
New Report Blasts a Gigantic Hole in the Already Flimsy Nunes Memo
2/2/2018 4:15:24 PM
News
Here's What's Happening With the Democratic Memo and the Trump-Schiff Feud
2/5/2018 4:24:29 PM
Congress Could Leave Dreamers in Uncertainty for Another Year
2/5/2018 1:05:03 PM
Congressional Democrats Are Not Mincing Words in Responding to the Nunes Memo
2/2/2018 4:36:42 PM
New Report Blasts a Gigantic Hole in the Already Flimsy Nunes Memo
2/2/2018 4:15:24 PM
Green Card Veteran Begins Hunger Strike in Protest of His Deportation
2/2/2018 12:16:00 PM
Paste Studio
Music
Tifane - Full Session
2/4/2018 12:00:00 AM
Music
Tommy Emmanuel - Full Session
2/4/2018 12:00:00 AM
Music
Tegan Marie - Full Session
2/1/2018 12:00:00 AM
Editors' Picks
The Secret Nunes Memo Is a Dud (It's Also Total BS)
2/2/2018 1:30:35 PM
The GOP's Increasingly Desperate Defense of Trump Spells Midterm Disaster for DemocratsYes, Democrats.
1/10/2018 10:50:55 AM
Trump Won't Nuke North Korea: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Chain of Command
11/30/2017 11:50:38 AM
If You're a Nazi or Pedophile, There's Plenty of Room for You in the Republican Party
11/10/2017 1:18:38 PM
One Year Later: Paste Staffers Share Their Memories From Election Night 2016
11/8/2017 1:55:07 PM
A Blue Hope: The Ten Best Moments for Democrats on Their Greatest Night in Years
11/8/2017 9:05:18 AM
Donald Trump Is the Worst Thing to Happen to the Republican Party
11/8/2017 11:27:33 AM
Everyone Is Making the Same Election Joke on Twitter, but, Hey, It's a Good Joke
11/8/2017 3:45:47 PM
The Republic May Crumble Around Michael Flynn
5/17/2017 1:00:00 PM
Sally Yates and James Clapper Just Told Us That A Whole Lot of Powerful People Are Going to Jail
5/9/2017 3:12:26 PM
Paste Cloud
Comedy
Will Ferrell and SNL Remind Us How Terrible George WBush Was
1/28/2018 2:16:55 PM
Comedy
Obama Discusses His "Dad Moves" In First Clip from David Letterman's New Netflix Series
1/10/2018 3:12:42 PM
Comedy
Jimmy Kimmel Tearfully Calls for Gun Control in Monologue about the Las Vegas Shooting
10/2/2017 11:59:14 PM
Comedy
Jimmy Kimmel Continues His War of Words with GOP Lawmakers and Fox News
9/21/2017 1:11:04 PM
Comedy
Watch Samantha Bee Trash Senate Republicans' Healthcare Bill
6/29/2017 12:04:01 PM
Comedy
Watch Seth Meyers Take "A Closer Look" at Comey Tapes and Senate Trumpcare
6/27/2017 11:08:40 AM
Comedy
Watch James Corden Send Donald Trump 297 Copies of Philadelphia in Support of AIDS Victims
6/21/2017 12:01:00 PM
Politics
Watch Paul Ryan's Opponent's Inspiring Campaign Ad
6/21/2017 9:52:00 AM
Comedy
Watch John Oliver Expose Trump's Coal Industry Falsehoods
6/19/2017 11:24:10 AM
Most Popular
More
Why Did Trey Gowdy Suddenly Retire from Congress?
2/1/2018 1:25:54 PM
The Butcher Builders: How Western Journalists Helped Create a Monster in Russia
2/1/2018 9:45:36 AM
Philadelphia City Council Votes to End Cash Bail
2/1/2018 3:23:55 PM
Privilege Avatar Megan McArdle Pulls Off the Rare "Owned Trifecta": Original Own, Self-Own, Crowd-Own
2/5/2018 3:03:16 PM
Devin Nunes Tries Several Times to Commit Political Suicide
2/2/2018 6:00:37 PM
New Report Blasts a Gigantic Hole in the Already Flimsy Nunes Memo
2/2/2018 4:15:24 PM
Is David Letterman Getting a Pass Despite Past Sexual Misconduct?
1/8/2018 2:36:10 PM
The Secret Nunes Memo Is a Dud (It's Also Total BS)
2/2/2018 1:30:35 PM
The Ten Biggest Lies From Trump's State of the Union Address
1/31/2018 2:15:32 PM
Constitutional Crisis in America: President Trump Did Not Implement Russian Sanctions Passed By Congress
1/30/2018 1:45:54 PM
News
More
Here's What's Happening With the Democratic Memo and the Trump-Schiff Feud
2/5/2018 4:24:29 PM
Congress Could Leave Dreamers in Uncertainty for Another Year
2/5/2018 1:05:03 PM
Congressional Democrats Are Not Mincing Words in Responding to the Nunes Memo
2/2/2018 4:36:42 PM
New Report Blasts a Gigantic Hole in the Already Flimsy Nunes Memo
2/2/2018 4:15:24 PM
Green Card Veteran Begins Hunger Strike in Protest of His Deportation
2/2/2018 12:16:00 PM
Paste Studio
More
Tifane Full Session
2/4/2018 12:00:00 AM
Tommy Emmanuel Full Session
2/4/2018 12:00:00 AM
Tegan Marie Full Session
2/1/2018 12:00:00 AM
The Wood Brothers Full Session
2/1/2018 12:00:00 AM
Goodie Full Session
1/31/2018 12:00:00 AM
Editors' Picks
More
The Secret Nunes Memo Is a Dud (It's Also Total BS)
2/2/2018 1:30:35 PM
The GOP's Increasingly Desperate Defense of Trump Spells Midterm Disaster for DemocratsYes, Democrats.
1/10/2018 10:50:55 AM
Trump Won't Nuke North Korea: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Chain of Command
11/30/2017 11:50:38 AM
If You're a Nazi or Pedophile, There's Plenty of Room for You in the Republican Party
11/10/2017 1:18:38 PM
One Year Later: Paste Staffers Share Their Memories From Election Night 2016
11/8/2017 1:55:07 PM
A Blue Hope: The Ten Best Moments for Democrats on Their Greatest Night in Years
11/8/2017 9:05:18 AM
Donald Trump Is the Worst Thing to Happen to the Republican Party
11/8/2017 11:27:33 AM
Everyone Is Making the Same Election Joke on Twitter, but, Hey, It's a Good Joke
11/8/2017 3:45:47 PM
The Republic May Crumble Around Michael Flynn
5/17/2017 1:00:00 PM
Sally Yates and James Clapper Just Told Us That A Whole Lot of Powerful People Are Going to Jail
5/9/2017 3:12:26 PM
Paste Cloud
Will Ferrell and SNL Remind Us How Terrible George WBush Was
1/28/2018 2:16:55 PM
Obama Discusses His "Dad Moves" In First Clip from David Letterman's New Netflix Series
1/10/2018 3:12:42 PM
Jimmy Kimmel Tearfully Calls for Gun Control in Monologue about the Las Vegas Shooting
10/2/2017 11:59:14 PM
Jimmy Kimmel Continues His War of Words with GOP Lawmakers and Fox News
9/21/2017 1:11:04 PM
Watch Samantha Bee Trash Senate Republicans' Healthcare Bill
6/29/2017 12:04:01 PM
About
Advertise With Us
Artists & Labels
Masthead
Press
Privacy & Security